Latest news with #SouthernBench
New Indian Express
30-07-2025
- New Indian Express
NGT seeks inspection records of all cracker units in Virudhunagar
CHENNAI: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has come down heavily on the Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) and the Tamil Nadu government, directing them to submit detailed inspection records of all firecracker manufacturing units in Virudhunagar from the last five years. The directive comes amid a spate of fatal accidents at cracker units. The NGT bench termed the recurring deaths a result of 'systemic regulatory failure' and expressed concern over non-compliance with safety norms. The rising deaths year after year points to gaps in enforcement, the bench comprising judicial member Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal observed, as PESO and state counsels pointed fingers at each other. The PESO counsel admitted to widespread violations, including illegal sub-licensing and the prohibited use of mobile phones inside factory premises - a clear violation of Rule 10(6) of the Explosives Rules, 2008, which bans ignition sources like mobile phones and radios within 15 metres of areas where explosives are stored or handled. So far, PESO has cancelled the licences of 10 units and suspended several others. However, the casualty data remains grim. In 2022, 18 people were killed in cracker unit accidents - 12 in PESO-licensed units and six in units licensed by the district magistrate. The toll rose to 39 in 2023, with 35 deaths reported from PESO units. This year alone, 43 deaths have already been recorded, 42 of them in PESO-supervised units.
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
NGT directs Apollo Tyres to strictly enforce plastic waste management guidelines
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed Apollo Tyres Limited to strictly comply with plastic waste management regulations and extended producer responsibility (EPR) norms, following allegations of improper disposal of used plastic jumbo bags containing traces of carbon black. The order was issued while disposing of a petition filed by J. Parthiban of Tiruvallur, who alleged that the firm was discarding large HDPE jumbo bags used for transporting carbon black — an important tyre ingredient — into local markets. These bags, reportedly still containing carbon black residue, were being repurposed by the public for agricultural and domestic uses, such as storing cattle feed and roofing. He alleged that this led to potential health hazards and contamination, particularly during rainfall. Apollo Tyres denied any wrongdoing, contending carbon black is non-hazardous and that all empty bags are thoroughly cleaned and handed over to a registered recycler, M/s. Jeeva Enterprises. The company, which generated about 5,000 empty bags a month, said it had taken measures to prevent dust emissions and improper disposal. It added that due to supplier concerns, it had stopped reusing bags after 2022 and now ensured proper recycling through authorised channels. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) confirmed that the company held a valid Consent to Operate and followed zero liquid discharge practices. However, it had earlier advised the company to avoid selling used bags to scrap vendors and work only with authorised recyclers. Apollo Tyres also submitted that replacing the bags with silos or tankers at its Chennai plant was not feasible due to space and infrastructure limitations. However, the company proposed to cut and clean the bags before sending them to recyclers to prevent unauthorised reuse, even though it would increase operational costs. The Bench, led by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, concluded Apollo Tyres had not violated any environmental norms but directed the company to fully implement the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board and comply with its own undertaking.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Waste dumping halted at site close to megalithic monument in Perumbakkam
The Chengalpattu district authorities have stopped the use of a site in Perumbakkam as a temporary dumpyard after the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) flagged it to be a part of a prohibited zone associated with a megalithic burial monument. This follows the suo motu intervention by the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal, which raised concerns over the potential impact on the archaeological site. Perumbakkam, which falls under the jurisdiction of St. Thomas Mount Block, has experienced rapid urbanisation and population growth, leading to an increase in solid waste generation. The panchayat introduced a door-to-door waste collection system, handling approximately 40 tonnes of waste daily. However, due to the lack of a dedicated dumpyard within the panchayat limits, waste was temporarily stored neara waterbody. To avoid contamination of the waterbody, an alternative site was identified, but a communication from the ASI halted its use as it falls within their purview. A recent status report filed by the Collector said the panchayat had then proposed the use of another parcel of land, which was cleared of overgrowth, and a temporary pathway for vehicular access had been constructed using debris. However, the ASI again issued a notice indicating that the proposed site fell within a prohibited area under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958, due to its proximity to megalithic cists and cairns located in Perumbakkam. Consequently, all activities at the site were immediately stopped. According to the report, the panchayat has since complied with the ASI's directives, and no solid waste had been dumped at the site. The authorities are now looking for an alternative site outside the prohibited zone and have said that further activities will proceed only with the necessary approvals.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGT directs TNPCB to enforce stricter norms for quarries
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to adopt stricter standards while granting or renewing Consent to Operate (CTO) for quarrying and mining units across the State. Delivering the judgement in response to a cluster of cases on quarrying and mining violations, the bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satugopal Korlapati, said that no quarrying activity shall be allowed to continue unless all penalties for past environmental violations are fully recovered. In the cases addressed in the verdict, violations included non-compliance with mandated safety distances, absence of proper fencing and greenbelt development, failure to implement dust control measures, and extraction beyond approved limits. The Department of Geology and Mining has imposed penalties ranging from a few lakhs to over ₹33 crore, several of which are currently under appeal. Highlighting the severe environmental and health risks posed by dust emissions from quarrying operations, particularly from activities such as drilling, blasting, excavation, and transportation of materials on unpaved roads, the bench advised TNPCB to impose mandatory conditions such as water sprinkling, greenbelt development, laying of tarred roads, and enclosure of dust-generating equipment before granting any CTO. The order recommended that project proponents begin greenbelt development at the application stage itself to ensure saplings are adequately grown by the time operations commence. In its verdict, the bench made it clear the TNPCB must not grant fresh CTOs or renew existing ones unless full compliance with earlier directions and penalties is ensured. It also directed the authorities to initiate recovery proceedings under the Revenue Recovery Act wherever penalties remain unpaid.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Fix GPS tracking system on sewage tankers: NGT to CCMC
COIMBATORE: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to ensure that all sewage and septic tank cleaning tankers operating in the city are equipped with GPS tracking devices within three months. The directive comes amid persistent complaints from residents of Ukkadam and Anbu Nagar about foul odour and health hazards caused by improper waste management. The tribunal took suo motu cognizance of news reports published in December 2023, which highlighted the public protest held outside the CCMC headquarters. Residents demanded the relocation of the sewage treatment plant in Ukkadam, blaming it for unbearable stench and unsanitary conditions. However, in its latest order, tribunal judge Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Sathyagopal stated that the core issue lies in unauthorised sewage tankers dumping untreated waste in open areas, not in the treatment plant itself. The bench ruled that relocating the facility is unnecessary but stressed the need for stricter monitoring and infrastructure upgrades. The civic body has also been ordered to complete pending sewage infrastructure within six months and to strictly enforce the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Additionally, the practice of dumping construction debris, sand, and plastic waste in open spaces must be completely stopped.
